The Hidden Costs of Budget Airlines in Europe: Ryanair vs easyJet Baggage Fees on a 5-City Summer Trip

Last updated: October 18, 2026

A €19.99 flight from Barcelona to Rome can still be a bargain—but only if your bag fits under the seat and you avoid every optional extra.

Travelers planning Barcelona beaches in June, Rome before the August heat, Berlin’s festival season, Amsterdam’s canals and Lisbon’s rooftops will find plenty of low-cost flights. The headline fare, however, rarely tells you what the complete trip will cost.

Key Takeaways

Ryanair currently includes one small personal bag measuring up to 40x30x20cm; a 10kg overhead cabin bag requires Priority & 2 Cabin Bags.
easyJet includes a larger under-seat bag measuring up to 45x36x20cm; a 56x45x25cm cabin bag must be purchased or included with an eligible fare, seat or membership.
Baggage prices are dynamic and vary by route, date, demand and when the bag is added.
Across four flights connecting five cities, one paid bag can easily add €80–€240 or more.
Ryanair does not serve every city pair in this itinerary directly, so compare mixed-airline totals rather than forcing a single-carrier booking.
Always buy luggage online before arriving at the airport; gate and bag-drop charges are substantially higher.

Here is what that means on a 5-city summer trip: Barcelona → Rome → Berlin → Amsterdam → Lisbon.

The Route: What to Compare for Summer 2027

The June 2026 fares quoted in the original version of this article have now expired. For future summer travel, start booked 6–8 weeks out as a useful comparison point, but also check earlier: popular weekend departures and school-holiday dates can rise months in advance.

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This route contains four one-way flights, not five. It also cannot reliably be booked as an all-Ryanair itinerary. easyJet commonly serves major airports such as Amsterdam Schiphol, while Ryanair may not offer the same nonstop city pair or may use an airport outside the named city.

Route	What to Check	Approximate Flight Time
Barcelona → Rome	Compare the complete Ryanair and easyJet price, including the arrival airport.	1h 50m
Rome → Berlin	Both fare and departure time matter; early or late flights can add transport costs.	2h 10m
Berlin → Amsterdam	easyJet may be the more practical nonstop option; verify alternatives before assuming Ryanair serves the route.	1h 20m
Amsterdam → Lisbon	Compare Schiphol departures with any secondary-airport alternative, including the transfer.	3h 05m

Because fares change constantly, a reusable calculation is more accurate than a list of historical ticket prices:

True flight cost = base fare + baggage + seat fee + check-in fee + airport transfer + payment or currency-conversion costs.

Run that calculation separately for each leg. A mixed Ryanair-and-easyJet itinerary may cost less than choosing one airline for the entire trip.

Carry-On Rules: Where the Game Begins

Ryanair (October 2026 Policy Check)

Included: 1 small personal bag, up to 40x30x20cm, stored under the seat.
Priority & 2 Cabin Bags: Adds a 10kg overhead bag measuring up to 55x40x20cm, subject to availability.
10kg check-in bag: Checked at the bag-drop desk rather than taken through security.
Pricing: Dynamic and shown for the specific flight during booking or in Manage Booking.

Ryanair’s free allowance is larger than the former 40x20x25cm limit quoted when this article was first published. Nevertheless, it remains an under-seat allowance—not a conventional cabin roller. The bag must fit the sizer without being forced, including handles, wheels and bulging exterior pockets.

Priority inventory can sell out. If it is unavailable, your alternatives may be a 10kg check-in bag, a larger checked bag or a different flight.

easyJet (October 2026 Policy Check)

Included: 1 small under-seat cabin bag, up to 45x36x20cm.
Large cabin bag: Up to 56x45x25cm and placed in the overhead locker.
Weight: Cabin bags can weigh up to 15kg, but passengers must be able to lift and carry them independently.
Access: A large cabin bag can be purchased separately or included through eligible products such as certain fares, seats or memberships.

Buying a large cabin bag also includes Speedy Boarding, but Speedy Boarding is a benefit of the bag purchase—not a separate substitute for the required baggage allowance.

Comparison: easyJet offers the more generous free under-seat dimensions. Ryanair’s paid overhead bag has a lower 10kg limit, while easyJet permits a heavier cabin bag if you can lift it yourself.

Checked Baggage: The Real Cost Explosion

For a two- or three-week trip, checked luggage may be more practical than repeatedly squeezing clothing into an under-seat bag. The airlines do not sell directly equivalent allowances, however: Ryanair commonly offers a 20kg checked bag, while easyJet’s standard hold bag is generally 23kg.

Feature	Ryanair	easyJet
Common checked allowance	20kg	23kg
Online price	Dynamic by route, date and purchase timing	Dynamic by route, date and purchase timing
Adding a bag later	Often costs more than adding it with the flight	May cost more than the original booking quote
Airport purchase	Substantially more expensive and subject to airport rules	Substantially more expensive than pre-booking
Excess weight	Charged per additional kilogram under applicable rules	Extra weight should be purchased before departure when available

Neither airline has one universal euro price covering every route. The amount displayed for your flight is the relevant price, and it can change before you complete the purchase.

Do not compare a Ryanair 20kg bag with easyJet’s smallest hold-bag option without checking the weight. A cheaper 15kg allowance is not a saving if your suitcase weighs 18kg at the airport.

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5-City Cost Breakdown: A Realistic Planning Model

The following examples use planning assumptions rather than guaranteed fares. Replace each estimate with the live amount displayed at checkout.

Scenario A: Free Personal Item Only

You travel with one correctly sized under-seat bag on every flight.

Ryanair baggage total: €0
easyJet baggage total: €0

This is the only scenario in which the headline fare remains close to the amount you pay. easyJet gives you more packing volume, while Ryanair can still win if its flight is meaningfully cheaper and operates the route you need.

Scenario B: Overhead Cabin Bag

Assume the paid cabin-bag option averages €20 per flight on both airlines:

Ryanair: €20 × 4 flights = €80
easyJet: €20 × 4 flights = €80

If peak-demand pricing raises the average to €35, the same bag costs €140 across the itinerary. This is why a €10 difference in base fare is rarely enough to identify the cheaper airline.

Compare the complete bundle carefully. A fare including a bag and seat may be cheaper than buying the lowest fare and adding each item separately—but not always.

Scenario C: Checked Bag

Using a planning estimate of €35 per Ryanair flight and €30 per easyJet flight:

Ryanair 20kg bag: €35 × 4 = €140
easyJet 23kg bag: €30 × 4 = €120

The €20 difference is only illustrative. Live quotes may reverse the result, especially because the exact route, departure date and time of purchase affect the fee.

For two people, compare one shared checked bag against two paid cabin bags. One 20kg or 23kg suitcase can be cheaper, although you will need to allow time for bag drop and baggage reclaim.

The Sneaky Extras Most Travelers Miss

1. Airport Location and Transfer Costs

The airport code matters as much as the city name. Ryanair frequently uses secondary airports, although it also serves some primary airports. easyJet is often present at larger city airports but is not universally more central.

Rome example:

Ciampino has lower-cost bus connections but fewer rail options.
Fiumicino has direct rail services, including the more expensive Leonardo Express.
A late arrival can eliminate the cheapest public-transport option and turn a low fare into a costly taxi ride.

Amsterdam example: A flight marketed as an alternative to Amsterdam may actually require a lengthy transfer from another Dutch airport. Add the bus or train fare, connection buffer and inconvenience before booking.

Berlin flights use BER, so the main variables are the terminal, arrival time and onward transport rather than a different city airport.

2. Seat Selection Pressure

Both airlines charge for advance seat selection on many basic fares, with prices varying by row and flight. Passengers who skip selection receive an automatically allocated seat, subject to the airline’s family-seating rules and operational requirements.

For couples and groups, sitting together across four flights can add a meaningful amount. Decide whether this is essential before choosing the lowest fare, and compare bundles that include seat selection.

3. Check-In Rules

Ryanair passengers should complete online check-in before the deadline. Travelers without a reserved seat generally receive a shorter check-in window than those who have paid for one, and airport check-in or boarding-pass reissue fees may apply where permitted.

easyJet online check-in generally opens 30 days before departure and closes two hours before the scheduled flight. It is not necessary to buy a seat simply to access online check-in.

Best practice: Add separate calendar reminders for every flight, download each boarding pass to your phone and save an offline screenshot or wallet copy. Do not rely on airport Wi-Fi or an app session remaining active.

4. Oversized or Overweight Bag Charges

A bag that fails the gate sizer may be placed in the hold for a high gate fee. Soft bags are not automatically safe: overpacking can make them wider than the stated limit.

Weigh checked luggage before every leg. Souvenirs, toiletries and wet clothing can push a suitcase over its allowance midway through the trip, even if it passed on the first flight.

5. Currency Conversion

If the fare is offered in a currency different from your card’s billing currency, compare the airline’s conversion with your bank’s rate. Select the billing option carefully and use a card without foreign-transaction fees when possible.

Summer 2027 Reality: What Has Changed

The biggest practical update is Ryanair’s larger free personal-item allowance of 40x30x20cm. It is a useful improvement, but it does not mean that a standard wheeled cabin suitcase is now free.

European policymakers have continued debating common hand-luggage rights. Travelers should not treat headlines, parliamentary proposals or social-media posts as an airline baggage policy. Until a rule is formally applicable, the dimensions and allowances shown in your booking conditions control.

Peak summer demand remains the main pricing risk. June includes Lisbon’s Santos Populares celebrations, while July and August bring school holidays, festivals and heavier airport traffic across Barcelona, Rome, Berlin and Amsterdam. Add baggage when the total is acceptable rather than assuming the fee will remain unchanged.

Non-EU visitors should also allow extra time at their first entry to or final exit from the Schengen Area as border systems and procedures evolve. Intra-Schengen flights normally do not involve routine immigration, but airlines can still check identity documents.

If you’re hopping between five countries, don’t forget mobile data. Roaming outside your EU home SIM can get pricey. We compared the best options in our Europe eSIM comparison for 2026—but verify current prices, data limits, hotspot support and validity before purchasing.

Ryanair vs easyJet: Who Wins?

If you travel with only a free personal item:
Ryanair often wins on price, but easyJet gives you a larger included bag.

If you need a cabin roller:
Compare Ryanair Priority with easyJet’s large-cabin-bag price. easyJet’s 15kg limit is more generous than Ryanair’s 10kg allowance, while Ryanair may have the lower fare.

If you check a bag:
Compare like with like. easyJet’s standard 23kg allowance provides 3kg more than Ryanair’s 20kg option, which can matter on a long trip.

If you value route convenience:
easyJet may be more practical for Amsterdam-centered itineraries. Ryanair’s lower fare is irrelevant when it does not operate the required nonstop route.

If price is everything:
Ryanair can still be the cheapest when you follow the rules precisely, travel light and include airport transfers in your calculation.

How to Avoid Paying €200+ in Hidden Fees

Compare the final checkout total. Add the bag you will actually carry before judging which airline is cheaper.
Measure all three dimensions. Include wheels, handles, straps and filled exterior pockets.
Weigh the bag at home. Leave a buffer for scale differences and purchases made during the trip.
Screenshot the allowance. Save the confirmation showing which bag is attached to each passenger and flight.
Check airport codes. Price the full transfer to your accommodation, especially for late arrivals.
Consider sharing checked luggage. One hold bag can cost less than two overhead cabin bags.
Use a flexible packing system. Compression cubes organize clothing, but they reduce volume—not weight.
Check in as soon as your window opens. Store every boarding pass offline.
Recheck after schedule changes. Confirm that paid bags and seats transferred correctly to the replacement flight.
Keep medication and essentials under the seat. Even an approved overhead bag may be gate-checked for operational reasons.

Example: if Ryanair saves €20 but requires €30 more in ground transport—or turns a nonstop flight into a bus-and-airport connection—it is not the cheaper trip.

My Honest Take After Pricing This Route

For a five-city summer itinerary, the most important difference between Ryanair and easyJet is not the advertised fare. It is the combination of route availability, baggage allowance, airport location and how closely you are willing to follow each rule.

Ryanair rewards disciplined travelers. If your bag fits, you check in on time and the airline serves the required route, the total can be exceptionally low.

easyJet’s larger free bag and higher cabin-bag weight limit can make it easier for travelers carrying more than a minimalist backpack. It may also offer a more useful network for parts of this particular itinerary.

Do not pay €40 extra automatically in the name of convenience, but do not create a four-hour transfer to save €15 either. The cheapest itinerary is the one with the lowest complete cost that still fits your schedule and packing needs.

Final Verdict

For strict budget backpackers: Ryanair, when it operates the route and the free bag is sufficient.

For travelers needing more under-seat space or cabin weight: easyJet.

For this exact five-city loop: A mixed-airline itinerary is usually the most realistic approach.

Before booking, calculate the full price for each leg rather than comparing teaser fares. Include luggage, seats, airport transfers and any overnight stay caused by an inconvenient schedule.

For summer 2027, begin tracking fares early, but purchase when the complete itinerary reaches a price you can accept. Lock in essential baggage at the same time and review every allowance again before departure.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Ryanair charge for a 20kg bag in 2026?

There is no single systemwide price. Ryanair uses dynamic baggage pricing based on the route, date, demand and time of purchase. Check the live booking total and add the bag online, because airport and excess-weight charges are normally much higher.

Is easyJet more expensive than Ryanair overall?

Not necessarily. Ryanair often has the lower base fare, but easyJet includes a larger personal item and its standard checked bag generally allows 23kg instead of 20kg. The cheaper option depends on the route, airport and baggage you need.

Can you travel Europe for two or three weeks with only a free personal item?

Yes, especially in summer, but it requires disciplined packing and access to laundry. Ryanair’s free bag is currently up to 40x30x20cm, while easyJet’s is up to 45x36x20cm. Verify the dimensions again before departure.

When is the cheapest time to book summer flights in Europe?

There is no guaranteed cheapest day. Begin monitoring major summer routes several months ahead and compare flights at least 6–10 weeks before departure. Weekend, festival and school-holiday dates can become expensive much earlier.

Does easyJet include a large cabin bag with every ticket?

No. The basic allowance is one small under-seat bag. A large overhead cabin bag must be purchased or included through an eligible fare, seat selection or membership benefit.

Can this five-city itinerary be flown entirely with Ryanair?

Not reliably as a like-for-like nonstop itinerary. Ryanair may not serve every city pair, particularly routes involving Amsterdam Schiphol. Compare mixed carriers and confirm the airport code before booking.

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About the Author: Tomáš Bzirský

Founder and editor of Distratech. Based in the Czech Republic, travelling regularly from Central Europe. Writes practical travel guides and travel-tech comparisons (eSIM, apps, airports) in six languages.

The Hidden Costs of Budget Airlines in Europe: Ryanair vs easyJet Baggage Fees on a 5-City Summer Trip

Key Takeaways

The Route: What to Compare for Summer 2027